The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) recently launched Business Solutions a program to answer the needs of many employers and business people post-COVID-19. Small Business Statistics Of 2023 – Forbes Advisor reports that by 2031 only 87 percent of jobs lost due to COVID-19 will be recovered. The WDBVC is well prepared with a full range of no-cost support for Ventura County businesses.

The WDBVC Business Solutions Team offers many services to recruit, train, and retain the Ventura County business workforce, including the Ventura County Hiring Board, where businesses and job seekers can exchange information at https://tinyurl.com/WDBVC-Hiring-Board. The WDBVC also offers a free live HR Hotline, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm, that provides assistance with hiring and firing best practices, paid sick leave laws, wage and hour laws, employee handbook policies, HR compliance, accommodations in the workplace, and much more. HR Hotline number 888-763-3174.

All WDBVC Business Solutions are designed to support businesses with free resources such as job postings, virtual and in-person recruitment events, customized training opportunities, and on-the-job employee training services.

“We have so many services for businesses and career seekers at no-cost, yet not enough businesses take advantage of them. The WDBVC Business Solutions aims to outreach and inform Ventura County businesses of services available to them. Now, more than ever, we need to help develop a stronger relationship between businesses and jobseekers and help them find each other in success,” says Rebecca Evans, WDBVC Executive Director.

The WDBVC Business Solutions team is hosting a complimentary training webinar on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 10am to 11am for Ventura County businesses. The virtual training will explore collaborative ways to ensure that businesses find employees ready to hire and have resources for success. The interactive session will cover strategies in business engagement that help struggling businesses, preparing employees for virtual recruiting and work, remote work policies and support, and more. Ventura County businesses can register for the virtual training at https://tinyurl.com/WDBVC-HR-help.

The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County Business Solutions team helps local companies find, retain employees, and attract workers for growing businesses. Services are provided at no cost. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/WDBVC-BIZ-Solutions.

The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County administers federal funds to support America’s Job Center of California locations and other free job seekers, youth, and business programs and services in Ventura County. The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County is a proud partner of America’s Job Center of California network. Equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. If you have limitations in hearing or speaking, dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). For more information, call 805-477-5306 or visit http://workforceventuracounty.org.

Community Memorial Healthcare’s Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program has achieved the significant milestone of accreditation by the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES). Accreditation represents a high level of quality and service in diabetes healthcare to the community, and the ability to better meet the needs of Medicare recipients and those affected by diabetes in Ventura County. Diabetes education is a covered Medicare benefit when delivered through an accredited program.

Community Memorial Healthcare’s DSME program is an outpatient program available by referral through the Community Memorial Health Centers. It is the only accredited diabetes education program in Ventura County.

“As the only accredited Diabetes Self-Management Education program in Ventura County, we are extremely proud of the service we are providing to our community,” said Dr. Anthony Russell, Community Memorial Healthcare Chief Administration Officer, Ambulatory Medicine. “With over 29 million people with diabetes in America, programs like ours are vital to supporting patients and preventing complications due to diabetes.”

ADCES, formerly known as the American Association of Diabetes Educators, is a multi-disciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving diabetes care through innovative education, management and support. ADCES has over 14,000 professional members including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and exercise specialists helping those who have or are at risk for diabetes.

Diabetes education services use a collaborative process through which people who have diabetes or who are at risk for diabetes work with a diabetes educator to receive individualized care. At the Community Memorial Health Centers, primary care providers and endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and oversee the management of diabetes. Certified RN Diabetes Educators who specialize in diabetes care and education work in the Community Memorial Health Centers to provide one-on-one consultations in English or Spanish for patients with diabetes. The education includes the core principles of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialist’s ADCES7 – self-care behaviors including healthy eating, being active, taking medication, healthy coping, monitoring, problem solving, and reducing risks.

“As a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact this program has on individuals with diabetes,” said Wendy Amaro, Community Memorial Health Centers Manager of Population Health. “Our patients are achieving lower A1C scores, developing the confidence to self-manage their condition, and living healthier lifestyles overall.”

by David Goldstein

The official theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet,” according to Earthday.org, the largest organizer and coordinator of Earth Day events. In keeping with the theme, many of the organizations staffing booths at this year’s events will promote incentives for electric cars, solar panels, water-efficient appliances, and other investments. Local events will also provide education, information, and fun.

Since this year’s Earth Day, April 22, is on a Saturday, most local events will be held on the official day of commemoration. However, as usual, events all this month will celebrate Earth Day.

April 20, at Ojai Farmers’ Market, 3 to 7 PM, at 414 E. Ojai Ave, organizers of Earth Day celebrations are encouraging walking, biking, or riding the Ojai City Trolley by giving a $2 voucher to each person who does not drive to the event. This “market money” can be used to purchase items from the market’s farmers, all of whom do not use pesticide and grow crops within 20 miles of the city. The event at the market will feature live music, dancers, booths with non-profit organization representatives, and handmade goods. An opening ceremony will be led by a Chumash elder, and speakers will explain regenerative farming, oak tree preservation methods, and other subjects. Also, the O-Haiku competition winner will be announced. Haiku poems, due to  [email protected] by April 10, should be about “The Business of Bees” sculpture at the Ojai Valley Business Park in Bryant Circle.

April 21, at Ventura County Government Center, Noon to 1 PM, the Ventura County General Services Agency Earth Day Tour will meet at the Hall of Administration fountain and visit environmentally important sites on the campus. This will include tours of water efficient landscaping, pervious pavement, and a compost site. Register in advance by using the QRTY code at https://www.ventura.org/general-services-agency/earthday/

April 22, In the Ojai Cocoon, 6:30 to 8:30 PM (show starts at 7), 11966 North Ventura Ave, Ojai, an Earth Day concert will feature Sonic Butterfly, the Pixies, and Smitty and & Julija. Sonic Butterfly bills itself as an “instrument of transformation,” an acoustic, chromatic long-string harp with strings over 60 feet long, reaching over the audience. The Ojai Pixies are a girls’ choir, singing classical, pop, and other tunes. Julija Zonic, a music educator and vocal director, will perform original music. Tickets ($25 for adults, $15 for kids) are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ojai-earth-day-concert-sonic-butterfly-the-pixies-and-smitty-julija-tickets-602670492667 .

April 22, at Big Rock Preserve, 9 AM to 1 PM, volunteers will remove flood debris and invasive weeds. Reservations are required for this important land stewardship work, but before volunteering, consider the Ventura Land Trust’s warning of hazards from exposed roots, poison oak, sun exposure, and wildlife.

April 22, at Hayden Preserve, 10 AM to 11:30 AM, 234 Canada Larga Rd, Ventura Land Trust educators will coordinate a program for young children and their parents. Participants will play games, collect bugs, work on crafts, and read books designed to educate about nature. Register at www.venturalandtrust.org/events.

April 22 and 23, 11 AM to 3 PM, at the Agricultural Museum, 926 Railroad Ave, Santa Paula — Museum of Ventura County will celebrate Earth Day with displays and presentations. On the first day, the Native Plant Society hosts a Native Plant Sale and garden tours. A game booth will teach players about pollinators and plants. The second day’s highlights include a wildflower and weed show, iNaturalist training, and tips for identifying plants. For more information, see https://venturamuseum.org/event/vc-plants-to-know-and-grow/ or call 805/525-3100.

Ventura County Public Works Agency Environmental Resource Analyst David Goldstein may be reached at (805) 658-4312 or [email protected]

NAMBA Performing Arts Space is pleased to present Ensemble Sangineto on May 4th at 7pm. Ensemble Sangineto is 100% Italian folk music with a modern and Gregorian twist. They are touring the college circuit but are making a special stop at NAMBA Performing Arts Space in downtown Ventura.

“This is a once in Ventura County opportunity and is something you could only expect to experience in Italy”, says Tamara Varney, Board Chair for NAMBA Performing Arts Space. “Our small Theatre will likely be their most intimate performance in the US.”

Ensemble Sangineto is an eclectic band which skillfully blends ancient harmonies and sonorities with modern rhythms. The wide-ranging musical experiences of the individual members converge to create fresh arrangements of traditional Irish, Scottish, Breton & Italian tunes and original compositions influenced by genres ranging from classical to folk, from Gregorian chant to musical, from pop to Celtic music.

The delicate combination of the pure and magic tones of the harp and of the bowed psaltery with the guitar intermingle with the three voice-polyphonic texture evoking dreamlike and airy atmospheres — an experience simultaneously joyful and light.

Join us at NAMBA Performing Arts Space on May 4, 2023, 47 S. Oak Street, Downtown Historic Ventura. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at NambaArts.com.

The trustees of the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $610,000 to 13 local non-profit organizations providing remote and in-person services to youth and adolescents in Ventura County. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $100,000, and were allocated as follows to local organizations:

$45,000 to CAREGIVERS: Volunteers Assisting the Elderly for matching a teen volunteer with a senior citizen to assist with indoor and outdoor home maintenance, lawn mowing, window washing, vacuuming, laundry, and home organization.

$40,000 to CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) to support a Juvenile Justice Program Manager and two parttime case supervisors, including recruitment and training of a Spanish-speaking case supervisor.

$30,000 to Girls Scouts of California’s Central Coast to provide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming and mental wellness services to girls in Ventura County.

$30,000 to Ventura Family YMCA to provide scholarships to disadvantaged children and those from low-income households to participate in YMCA programming, including: third grade learn-to-swim lessons, safe play activities, and adaptive programming for children with special needs.

Grants are awarded in the spring and fall of each year. The deadline for letters of interest for Fall 2023 grants is September 30, 2023. For more information about the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation, including instructions on how to apply for a grant, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.samuelssonfoundation.org.

The Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation was established in 2005 upon the death of Harriet H. Samuelsson, an Oxnard philanthropist, at age 96.  The Foundation awards over $1 million in grants each year to organizations providing services for the health, education, guidance, or welfare of children under the age of 18 residing in Ventura County, or to organizations conducting cancer research.

In 2017, Project Understanding, a local nonprofit that serves as a safety net to the most vulnerable residents in Ventura County, was just weeks away from having to close its doors.  Brandy Beesley, a life-long local resident, was hired as the new executive director and stepped in facing the harsh situation and reality that the fate of a 40-year-old organization weighed heavily on her shoulders.  She made organizational adjustments, implemented a refreshed strategic plan, and in just 6 years she has not only found a way to keep the doors open, but the organization is now thriving and serving more people than it ever has before. 

Not only has Brandy managed to sustain a 1,000% increase in capacity, but she has managed to thrive under unthinkable conditions, including the Thomas Fire, the Woolsey fire, and the COVID pandemic. 

When she began in 2017, the food pantry was serving approximately  275 people a month, that number has now increased to over 4,000 people a month.  While sustaining the existing programs he has managed to implement a new program that offers case management services to struggling families, guiding and helping them achieve their highest level of independence. Their Homeless to Home program has been instrumental to our local homeless community moving them out homelessness as well as preventing those on the verge of becoming homeless remain housed.  

This year the organization is excited to unveil their new brand identity, which includes a refreshed logo as well as and updated mission statement, and a new tagline, “Understanding Needs, Restoring Hope”.

“We have grown exponentially in the past 6 years and, Project Understanding has emerged with a solid foundation and a bright future.  What a perfect time to highlight our evolvement with a refreshed look and a refreshed mission statement that has evolved with us”, states Brandy Beesley. Project Understanding’s mission is to transform lives and empower independence by providing resources to the most at-risk in our community. 

 “It has been quite a journey, but I am excited for our future and as an organization we pledge to provide an unparalleled level of assistance to our families; fulfill the ever-growing demand for services, and ensure that no family is turned away for lack of funds. We are grateful for our volunteers, donors, and community partners, without them none of this is possible”, stated Brandy Beesley.

by Carol Leish, MA

The 3-year plan (2023-2026), will outline and update the local programs and services to be funded by the MHSA and allows for a new 3-year budget plan to be created and implemented. The list of priorities to focus on for the next three years are: 1) Housing; 2) Clinical Treatment & Services; 3) Access; 4) Outreach & Education; and, 5) Alternatives to Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH).

This list of priorities dealing with goals, objectives and interventions are the result of nearly a year of community feedback. This has been formally referenced as the Community Program Planning Process, which is a requirement of the MHSA for the 2023-2026 plan. This included a community health needs assessment, five community listening sessions, and a community response survey, which took place over the past 12 months. The final phase is the development of a new Program and Expenditure Plan for the local MHSA funding allocation. The prior plan covered the fiscal years of 2020-2023. Proposed priorities detailed below.

The Housing priority outlines hiring additional staff to develop a specialized housing team to support clients at risk of homelessness. It also includes acquiring/developing, and/or preserving of housing along with the financial support to preserve and expand upon existing tenancy for Ventura County Behavioral Health clients.

The Clinical Treatment and services to clients is also listed. This section will include adding/expanding upon the types of treatments, cultural and indigenous practices, and other services provide by VCBH. Some examples include: 1) Expanding the role of Peers; and, 2) Increasing 24/7 community crisis response services.

Access will be enhanced by improving the continuum of care and varying levels of care. Examining timeliness in relation to levels of care will be important. Also, examining the quality improvements of opportunities around various physical locations and remote access, through computers (Zoom). Developing options for immediate response for enrolled youth will also be part of the improvement of access.

Outreach and Education will be essential for increasing the outreach capacity for vulnerable and at-risk population (i.e., in-house and via contractors). The component of expanding upon the specialized Behavioral Health Outreach Team for it to: 1) Educate around moderate-severe (VCBH domain) vs. mild-moderate (others) mental illness. Or, significant functional impairments (i.e., what VCBH can be expected to do). 2) To educate dealing with stigma reduction, substance use and impacts, trauma, diversity, racial equity, and inclusion and change across lifespan.

Outreach and Education also will deal with expanding upon media campaigns in order to target those who are within vulnerable populations at all care levels. Expanding staff and provider trainings will also be occurring.

Alternatives to VCBH will be including: 1) Developing more contracted clinical providers/options for clients in the mild-moderate category. 2) Developing more non-clinical providers/options through mini grants (e.g., drop-in-centers, after school programs, indigenous/culturally informed interventions, etc.) 3)Developing sessions based indicated upon Behavioral Health prevention interventions for high schools. 4) Developing more providers/options for those with other conditions (e.g., developments/intellectual, traumatic brain injury, dementia, etc.)

The above is a list of priorities that VCBH plans to work on over the next three years, and as funding is available. The list of priorities will be outlined in further detail in the 3-year plan and Annual Updates Reports.